Revealing the Monster (Playing with Monsters #4) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,102

with my selections, even though I was charged with organizing,” I explained, extending my cup while holding his stare. “Refill it, or you’re going to need to explain to Lucian how you ended up headless on the upper level.” His green eyes widened and dropped to the empty glasses we held out.

He retrieved them, refilling each with the glowing blue liquid, before hurrying off. Wrapping my hands around the cup, I turned back to Erie, who studied me. Chewing my lip, I fidgeted under her watchful eye.

“Do you hear that?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “It’s like a buzzing sound.”

My cheeks heated with embarrassment. I hid it behind the glass, drinking deeply of the ambrosia. It was one drink an immortal could actually achieve a buzz from, or if you drank enough, you’d get fall-down drunk on the stuff. Either would be welcome tonight.

Three glasses deep, we were back on the dancefloor pulsing with the crowd, dancing to Machine Gun Kelly’s I Think I’m Okay. My head swam with the buzz I’d achieved, and a smile played on my lips. I lifted my arms with Erie’s, and we swayed our bodies, bobbing our heads to the beat. Belting out the words, we laughed as people moved away from us, giving us room to let loose.

I could make out Devlin, Bane, and Layton in the crowd, each watching for any threat. The song changed, and Erie wrapped her arms around me, buzzed from the drink as it filtered through our systems.

“I love ambrosia and the warmth it leaves behind,” she sighed, smiling brightly, while resting her head against my shoulder. “So, what has gotten you so upset?” she asked, unsurprisingly.

Erie may be bat shit crazy, but she was observant. There wasn’t much that would get past her or go unnoticed beneath her perceptive gaze. I shrugged, allowing her to pull me with her back toward the bar, where she waved emphatically for the bartender.

“Spill it, woman. I know Lucian has you cooped up here. You’re alone, like me. Girl talks help, or so I hear.”

“I am alone, Erie. I feel it to my core. I miss Kendra and my mom. Lucian and the guys are great, but it’s not the same, you know?” I admitted, groaning at the idea of purging my problems.

“I hear ya, Lena. Trust me. I am alone most of the time, too. I don’t trust many people, and those I do trust normally think I’m insane,” she replied.

“Well, you were wearing Callaghan when I came up the stairs.” Pointing it out causes a bubble of laughter to escape my throat, which was luckily replicated by her giggle.

“He deserved it, trust me. Callaghan is so worried about saving his race that what I need or want isn’t considered. He tried to kidnap me and thought taking me home would make me feel things once more. We’ve changed, though.”

“How did he end up as your wardrobe?” I asked, sipping deeply from the nectar of the gods.

Erie smiled, licking her lips before shaking her head. “He planned to trick me, and I didn’t appreciate his plan. He used fertility medicine a few months ago, and it didn’t work out for him.” I gazed over her shoulder, where Lucifer studied me, his eyes locking with mine while he stood less than three feet from us. “Anyway,” she said, waving her hand around. “He took me home, drugged, bound, and fucked me on the cliffs where we’d once recited our vows. I thought it was romantic until I tasted the concoction in my drink. I returned the favor, drugging him before I tied him to the cliff’s walls and took his skin and head.”

I blinked slowly, dragging my eyes back to her. I wasn’t certain what I’d expected, but that hadn’t been it.

“Do you love him?” I asked.

“I’d destroy the world to protect him,” she replied softly.

“Does he love you?” I continued, wondering when they’d gone wrong. Somewhere in their history, they’d turned from lovers to enemies.

Her red curls bounced as her head shook from side to side. “He wouldn’t destroy anything for me. Probably not even a supermarket. Callaghan is more worried about saving the people we cursed in our war. Just once, I’d like him to vow to destroy the world for me. Shit, if he wanted me to be with him for something more than just saving a race, I’d possibly be able to forgive him. The thing is, he doesn’t talk to me like I